Wringer



Oct. 1, 1940.

w. L. KAUFi-MAN. 2o

WRINGER Filed July 11, 1932 fie. I 1 INVlN OR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. "1,

PATENT OFFICE WRINGER Walter L. Kauifmanj II, Erie, Pa., assignor to Lovell Manufacturing Company, Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 11, 1932, Serial No. 621,923

Claims. (Oi. 68-263) In the operation of power wringersoperators sometimes get caught between the rolls with resuiting injury and clothes are sometimes wound on the rolls resulting in injury to the clothes and 5 to the apparatus; Safety release devices. have been designed, the purpose of which is to release the pressure and to relieve the operator from at least a portion of any continued injury. The present invention is designed to improve a release device, particularly in the ease with which it may be actuated. This is of importance because the operator when caught is usually frightened and acts in a condition of panic, and unless the release is one to which the operator readily responds there is apt to be a failure in Features operating it under these conditions. and details of the invention will the specification and claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing as follows:

Fig. 1 shows a front elevation of a wringer partly in section.

Fig. 2 an end view of the wringer. g5 Fig. 3 a section on the line 2- -3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 a section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 a plan view of a portion of the wringer frame.

I marks the base of the frame, 2. the side stiles, 2 and 4 the wringer rolls. .[The rolls are provided with shafts and I and the shafts are iournaled in bearings i and I. A pressure means is provided in the form of a spring to. The spring is tensioned through a pin H which pin can be adjusted by a screw i2. .The screw is arranged in a cam sleeve 13 which is pivotally mounted in a fitting ll. The fitting is fixed in a top bar I! of the wringer, this top bar being of channel form with closed ends and arranged telescopically over the ends of the stiles. Cam shoulders ii are adapted to operate upon cams Ila forming the bottom edge of the sleeve it. The cams terminate at slots I! so that when the shoulder IS in the 5 releasing movement reaches the slot I! it appear from passes through the slot, thus entirely releasing the cam sleeve and consequently releasing the pressure on the spring II and the wringer rolls. Arms Ila extend from the cam sleeve and a catch ill on one of these arms engages a catch shoulder I! on a trip bar 20 extending across the wringer over the top and one face of the top bar. The trip bar has arms H at each end extending downwardly over the end of the top bar .55 and is pivoted on the top bar by means of screws .22. Springs 23 normally hold the trip bars against a movement adapted to release the catch In the operation of the device so far as described the top bar 20 is pressed inwardly, or I downwardly. The shoulder l9 swings downwardly on an arc with the pivot 22 as a center until the-catch I8 is released. Immediately upon the i'elease of this catch the pressure on the cam shoulder it forces the sleeve upwardly, the shoull0 der following the spiral cam. the freedom of the arms l3a to rotate after the catch is released permitting this upward movement. As the cam shoulder reaches the slot I! it passes out of this slot further releasing the spring.

It is preferable to provide releasing bars at both the front and rear of the wrlnger and this is accomplished in the present case by providing a bar 24 similar in structure to the bar 20 and having the arms 25 at each end of the wringer, these arms being pivoted on the top bar by screws 26. The arm 2| is provided with a cross slot 21 and a pin 28 extends through the slot into the arm 25. 'So that a movement of either bar conveys the movement to the companion bar and consequently a movement on the bar 24 cams the bar 20 downwardly so as to make the release.

It .will be noted that these bars extend across the top of the wringer and conform quite closely to the shape of the top bar making an attractive appearance and presenting a surface which can be naturally pushed by the operator into release position.

A cover plate 29 is arranged over the arms l3a, this plate being connected with one of the arms by a hinge 20. The free end of this cover plate rests on the bars 20 and 24 so that if pressure is exerted downwardly on this cover plate it operates on the bars 20 and 24 to release the latch. It is of a shape so that it readily pulls under the hand as the release starts. By swinging this cover plate outwardly it extends the lever formed by the arm so that the shoulder may be forced down the cam putting pressure on the spring. The final rotary movement under this lever brings the catch into position to snap over the shoulder I.

It is desirable to extend the release movement andthe present device is provided with a secondary release which in itself forms no part of this invention. This secondary release has latch plates 3| pivotally mounted on the top plate and'engagingshoulders 32 on the sidestiles, thus locking the top bar releasably on ll the stiles.

position and the top bar then is free to lift" off the stiles giving a practically unlimited movement for relieving pressure on the rolls.

Straps 35 extend from the top bar around the upper roll bearings and the upper roll shafts so that as the top bar is lifted, this roll is carried out of the wringer. This is of some importance because under certain circumstances where the operator is caught the wringer continues to operate and this rubbing action on the injured hand, if continued, adds greater injury.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a wringer having a frame comprising a top bar, rolls mounted in the frame, and a pressure means for the rolls having its pressure thrust sustained by the top bar; the combination with said pressure means of a safety release device comprising pressure sustaining members having self-releasing engagement and releasing when free under pressure of the means,

a releasable latch securing the members against release, and a latch releasing mechanism comprising a plate extending over the major portion of the length of the top bar and conforming generally to the top bar, said plate moving in parallel with the axes of the rolls and effecting a release through thrusts toward the top bar.

2. In a wringer having a frame comprising a top bar, rolls mounted in the frame,'and a pressure means for the rolls having its pressure thrust sustained by the top bar; the combination with said pressure means of a safety reeffecting a release through thrusts toward the top bar.

3. In a wringer having a frame comprising a top bar, rolls mounted in the frame, and a pressure means for the rolls; the combination with the pressure means of a safety release device comprising pressure sustaining members having self-releasing engagement and releasing when free under pressure of the means, one member having a spiral cam and the other a rotating member for engagement with the cam and re leasable on rotative movement, an arm on the rotating member, a latch mechanism securing the arm, and a latch releasing mechanism com prising a bar movable from front to rear in parallel with the rolls to release the latch mechanism 4. In a wringer having a frame comprising av top bar, rolls mounted in the frame, and a pressure means for the rolls; the combination with the pressure means of a safety release device comprising pressure sustaining members having self-releasing engagement and releasing when free under pressure of the means, one member having a spiral cam and the other a rotating member for engagement with the cam and releasable on rotative movement, an arm on the rotating member, a latch mechanism securing the arm, and a latch releasing mechanism comprising a bar extending to both sides of the rotatable member and movable at both ends in the same direction to release the latch mechanism.

5. In a wringer having a frame comprising a top bar,, rolls mounted in the frame, and a pressure means for the rolls; the combination with the pressure means of a safety release device comprising pressure sustaining members having self-releasing engagement and releasing when free under pressure of the means, a releasable latch securing the members against release, a latch releasing mechanism comprising an actuating bar pivoted on an axis parallel with the axes of the rolls, and a plate pivoted on an axis from front to rear and movable up and down engaging said bar to actuate the bar for release.

WALTER L. KA'UFFMAN, II. 

